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People planning to travel for the holidays are starting to shop for safe, fun places to park their pets. The Better Business Bureau offers a checklist of factors to consider, including a visit to check out the facilities in person, asking about how boarding pets will interact with each other and making sure the facility is properly licensed.

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Sapsaree dogs, one of three breeds native to Korea, saw their numbers decimated after decades of war and poverty, and were nearly extinct in the 1980s when a South Korean geneticist set out to replenish the population with eight remaining dogs. Despite financial woes that led university geneticist Ha Ji-Hong to sell his assets to fund the program, the shaggy breed prized for its loyalty now numbers about 500.

A food safety bill that has been stalled in the Senate appears ready to move forward, with a vote expected as early as today. The vote would allow formal debate of legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration more power to track fruits and vegetables and order recalls. Critics say the bill is unfair to small farmers.

Animal-control officials in Floyd County, Ga., answer questions about their methods of euthanizing shelter animals, including the use of gunshots. Officials say euthanasia by firearm is permitted by the state's Department of Agriculture, and is approved by AVMA in some cases, particularly when the animals pose a serious threat to humans or pets.

Biologists with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources are set to investigate early next year the extent of the damage done by the fatal fungal disease, known as white-nose syndrome, to the state's bat population. The research, which primarily will focus on the Virginia Big Eared and Indiana bats, seeks to find chemicals that will help treat the fungus among wild bats.

U.S. researchers said that a vaccine administered as nasal drops allowed mice to develop antibodies that protected the animals from rotavirus infection. The vaccine could provide an inexpensive means to protect people against the virus, which causes serious diarrheal disease and is a major cause of death among children in developing countries.